NafisaYoussef Chermiti injury adds to Rangers woes after striker stretchered off hours after Galatasaray bid was rejected
Rangers have been dealt another worrying blow after Youssef Chermiti was stretchered off during their disappointing 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox.
The Portuguese forward was forced out of the match after appearing to injure himself following a collision with the advertising boards behind the Hibernian goal.
Chermiti required treatment before being taken from the field, bringing an early end to an afternoon that had already started badly for Derek McInnes’ side.
The timing of the injury could hardly have been more frustrating.
Just hours earlier, Rangers had reportedly rejected a huge offer from Turkish giants Galatasaray for the 22-year-old.
Reports indicate that Galatasaray had submitted a bid worth around £22m (€25m), which would have represented a club-record sale for Rangers, but the Ibrox hierarchy turned it down while holding out for a higher valuation.
Rangers are reportedly looking for around £25m for Chermiti, with interest from other clubs also having been reported in recent days.
Chermiti injury comes at terrible time for Rangers
Chermiti had been handed a starting role by McInnes against Hibernian, with the Rangers manager looking for answers in an attack that has struggled to find consistency during the opening weeks of his tenure.
The striker had spearheaded the Rangers attack in their Europa League defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland and was again selected from the beginning against Hibs.
His afternoon, however, lasted only 36 minutes.
The sight of the forward being carried away on a stretcher immediately raised concerns among the Rangers support, particularly given how much pressure McInnes is already facing to improve his attacking options.
The club have already added Daisuke Yokota this summer, but McInnes has continued to look for further reinforcements in the final third.
Rangers are also pursuing PSV winger Couhaib Driouech, with the club working on a deal for the Moroccan as they attempt to give their new manager more attacking options.
Losing Chermiti, even temporarily, would therefore be another complication for a squad that is already being reshaped.
Galatasaray transfer now hangs over Chermiti
The injury also adds another layer of uncertainty to Chermiti’s transfer situation.
Before Sunday’s match, Rangers had made it clear through their actions that they were not prepared to accept Galatasaray’s reported £22m proposal.
Chermiti joined Rangers from Everton last summer and enjoyed a productive campaign, scoring 15 goals in 42 appearances according to reports. His performances have subsequently attracted significant interest from clubs in Europe.
The rejected offer was reportedly already above the previous Rangers record sale, meaning a successful deal could have generated a substantial financial boost for the Ibrox club.
But Rangers’ decision to reject the bid showed that they believe Chermiti is worth considerably more.
Now, the immediate priority is his fitness.
A serious injury could obviously complicate any potential transfer, although it is far too early to speculate on the severity of the problem.
No definitive diagnosis has been publicly confirmed yet, meaning Rangers supporters will have to wait for further assessment before knowing how long Chermiti could be unavailable.
Another setback for Derek McInnes
The injury came during another frustrating afternoon for McInnes.
Rangers eventually lost 2-1 to Hibernian after conceding a late winner from Callum Wright, leaving the new manager still waiting for his first competitive victory in charge.
The result followed the 1-1 draw against Dundee United and the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Jagiellonia, increasing the pressure on McInnes during the opening weeks of his Rangers reign.
The manager needs his attacking players to start producing consistently, but Chermiti’s injury has now created another potential headache.
There was already a major focus on strengthening the forward line before the transfer deadline, and the situation could become even more urgent if the Portuguese striker is ruled out for any significant period.
For now, however, everyone at Rangers will be hoping the injury is less serious than the initial scenes suggested.
The Galatasaray interest, the rejected mega-money offer and the uncertainty surrounding Chermiti’s future can all wait.
The immediate concern is getting the young forward properly assessed and finding out exactly what happened at Ibrox.
After another disappointing Rangers result, the last thing McInnes needed was to lose one of his attacking options as well.
Nafisa
